22
votes
Disenchanted with Buddhism
Buddhism is not the answer. Buddhism is not the problem, either.
You turned to Buddhism looking for a quick fix to your life, and now that you haven't found that quick fix after 6 years you are ...
- 459
12
votes
Accepted
How come enlightened people don't have any laziness?
Speaking from the first hand experience, laziness comes from attachment, fear, or ignorance. No attachment, no fear, and no ignorance - translates to no laziness.
And how does attachment cause ...
- 57.2k
11
votes
Accepted
Three questions about sensual desire
Prevention is better than cure. It is easiest to tackle the mental pollution of unwholesome acts before it has happened - i.e. at the stage that desire is born.
For the same reason, help groups like ...
- 7,433
10
votes
Disenchanted with Buddhism
Generally things happen due to cause and effect so use that to your advantage by creating the causes for happiness.
You need to work on the grosser aspects before you can work with the subtle.First ...
- 171
8
votes
Accepted
How does the Buddha subdue fear in MN4?
Good question! Not everyone finds this episode interesting - and yet it illustrates a very important point.
Buddha subdues his fear by bringing all of his attention to the present moment.
As I was ...
- 57.2k
7
votes
Accepted
How do I get rid of ill will?
Vitakkasanthana Sutta (MN 20)
Please keep in mind that one's effort should be of ardency and urgency. You have to act like a hero and free yourself from these. You need to have wisdom about ...
- 2,560
7
votes
How do I get rid of ill will?
(this is 100% based on my first teacher's instructions, not my personal interpretation)
Ego. All these thoughts come from the ego. Ego wants to destroy anything that hurts it.
You should develop a ...
- 57.2k
6
votes
How is it possible to change habits cultivated over lifetimes
Easy. Well, easy in theory :) -- you need to get fed up! You need to get really sick and tired of your conditions, so sick that you cannot live like that anymore. You are so fed up that you are either ...
- 57.2k
5
votes
How is it possible to change habits cultivated over lifetimes
It is not at all a simple task to reverse the habits cultivated over umpteenth lifetimes. It is next to impossible without gaining a good knowledge of the Dhamma and putting it to practice diligently. ...
- 9,587
5
votes
Disenchanted with Buddhism
Don't force it! Learn to find and follow your inspiration, to cultivate your inspiration :-)
Buddhism is meant to be inspiring, the example of Buddha is meant to be an example you can relate to - he ...
- 57.2k
5
votes
Sensual Desire and Guarding the Sense Doors
Sensual desire is like feeling thirst for something (Pali tanha, Sanskrit trishna).
If you feel cold and decide to put some clothes on, normally it has nothing to do with sensual desire. It's a ...
- 1,493
4
votes
How is it possible to change habits cultivated over lifetimes
If a yard has lots of weeds, just by getting rid of the weeds alone won't be effective. One will also need to overseed their yard with strong grass so that they will overwhelm the weeds and grow into ...
- 9,691
4
votes
Accepted
Is there a name for being totally dependent?
I think the closest real "thing" in Buddhism that touches on what you've described is thina-middha, or "sloth and torpor" (one of the Five Hindrances). It's characterized in part by a lack of energy (...
- 1,099
4
votes
Is this desire, to not be friendless anymore, healthy?
Any desire that cannot be achieved will cause suffering. Therefore, if (for some rare reason) you are intrinsically unable to make friends, you should accept this situation rather than suffer over it. ...
- 38.5k
4
votes
Do we reduce hindrances gradually?
The mind when covered with the five hindrances is like clouding a clear bowl of water (still mind) with different contaminants or situations. – Sangarava sutta (SN 46.55) Also try to refer to ...
- 9,587
4
votes
Accepted
Being bored :anapanasati meditation
Boredom is a sign of restlessness. If you're bored, you want to try to do something else. You're not contented with the present moment. Please read this essay on the five hindrances to meditation by ...
- 36.4k
4
votes
Disenchanted with Buddhism
Im nearly 50 years old ...
You seem to be realising the fact of unsatisfactoriness at the intellectual level (Cintā Maya Paññā). You have to try to re enforce this at the meditation level (Bhāvanā ...
4
votes
Disenchanted with Buddhism
"I'm nearly 50 years old.. I have never found a sense of belonging...
I haven't found a way to work that... I'm at a point where I feel I just cannot... I have no motivation... I have tried to ...
- 25.7k
4
votes
Accepted
During jhana do you eliminate all hindrance at once?
Jhanas are attained by suppressing the five hindrances via concentrating on objects like the breath, or a kasina object, etc. But if one contemplates on anicca, dukkha, anatta, one automatically ...
- 9,587
4
votes
Sensual Desire and Guarding the Sense Doors
Sense Restraint
On seeing a form with the eye, he doesn't grasp at any theme (nimitta) or details by which — if he were to dwell without restraint over the
faculty of the eye — evil, unskillful ...
- 38.5k
4
votes
How come desire and sati causes sleepness?
Sloth and Topher is the fifth Mara.
It activated when all other previous four maras are inactivated.
For instance, when you watch TV the first mara is in charge.
When you listen to Dhamma if the ...
- 5,616
4
votes
Accepted
Which of the five hindrance does 'comparison' fall in?
Specifically "comparison" sounds to me like (i.e. it reminds me of the doctrine about) one of the 'fetters', i.e. "conceit" -- see this answer -- then see also this Wikipedia.
I ...
- 45.1k
4
votes
How to overcome fear of annihilation in meditation and why is it not included in list of hindrances to meditation?
In a way, fear of annihilation is part of the five hindrances, for example:
attachment to/desire for the continuation of sensory perception (i.e. to the physical body)
resentment/bitterness toward ...
- 1,857
3
votes
How to use Sloth and Torpor as an object for meditation
Some things that have worked for me-- and may be entirely personal:
Investigating and noting the qualities of sleepiness and torpor - why do I know I am sleepy? what are the physical symptoms? What ...
- 796
3
votes
contentment, complacency, sloth/torpor
'Complacency' would be a lack of urgency, thus a deficiency in wisdom.
'Sloth & torpor' is a lack of energy (tiredness) or mental dullness ('sinking mind'), which can occur in concentration ...
- 38.5k
3
votes
Five Hindrances Right Mindfulness Interrelated?
The Pāḷi phrase for "frequent and careless attention in the Sutta (SN 46.2) is "ayonisomanasikārabahulīkāro".
ayoniso = unwise, manasikāra = attention, bahulīkāro = continuous practice
The role of ...
- 1,368
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